JB/037/043/001

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1821. April 27.
First Lines Constitutional
Distributive
(3)

Under a Representative Democracy, scarcely for
offences of this class it has been seen can so much as a place be found.
On the one hand stand offences of individuals against individuals:
on the other hand, acts of hostility by enemies against enemies. Rulers
being individuals — rulers and subjects at the same time, for
person, reputation, property and condition in life rulers receive
the same protection as subjects, and of no other protection have
they or can they conceive themselves to have any need. Under
a Monarchy by sudden death inflicted upon the Chief of the
Government, changes, to the importance of which no limit can be assigned,
may be produced. By an operation to the same effect upon
the person of a Chief Magistrate in a Representative Democracy,
no such effect — scarce any such effect as would in any sinister
estimate be worth producing, would ever be produced: another as good
as he and no better nor of any better would there be any need
would, as soon as the election had run its course, step into his
place.

In a Monarchy, especially if absolute, take possession
of the Chief Magistrate you take possession of an immense part if
not the whole of the power which is in his hands. He signs what
laws and orders you give him to sign, he utters whatever speeches you give
him to utter — he takes whatever oaths you give him to take: reserving
to the first moment, after he is out of your hands, the signing
of repealing laws & counter orders, the utterance of counter speeches, the declaration
that the former oaths were null and void, and the taking of as
many counter oaths, if any, as shall present themselves in his
eyes afford a promise of being contributory to the purpose of the moment,
whatsoever that purpose be. Whatsoever engagement he
have has taken with this ceremony for a sanction to it Whatever
course of conduct he has given a promise to pursue, with this
ceremony, or sanction to the promise, if at any moment being called
upon to pursue a different course, it be more agreeable to him
to persevere in the original course, he will assure you that oaths, all oaths, are things sacred and
inviolable.

A subject has no
such enemy as
his Monarch —
no enemy so cruel
so implacable.
The Example of the
Ferdinands will be
followed as often
as occasion calls
by the Frederics
the Alexanders and
the Georges.

Get possession of a
President of Congress
– you get
possession of a
bubble which
breaks as soon as
you touch it — you
get the possession
of what the English
Law got, when after
having paid for
punch and put
him in to his
pocket he expected
to hear him
there.

Identifier: | JB/037/043/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 37.
Date_1	1821-04-27	Marginal Summary Numbering	not numbered
Box	037	Main Headings	constitutional code
Folio number	043	Info in main headings field	first lines
Image	001	Titles
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	c3
Penner	john flowerdew colls	Watermarks	c wilmott 1819
Marginals	john flowerdew colls	Paper Producer	andreas louriottis
Corrections	richard doane	Paper Produced in Year	1819
Notes public		ID Number	11258
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